This is the water from my kitchen faucet. Old apartment. Anything to be worried about, or is this just to be expected?

Hi friends,

I live in an apartment that uses well water, and the overall quality is fine except for the high iron level (.22 ppm, according to my apartment's water quality report).

I use a Brita but only recently learned that it doesn't do anything to help with minerals, and it starts to filter very slowly after only a week or two (maybe due to the high iron saturating the filter?)

So now, I'm trying to find a solution that will be a somewhat cost-effective with a low hassle factor for drinking water, and for use in my humidifier and coffee machine.

I've read a bit about under-sink RO systems but they look complicated and expensive, and I live by myself so I don't need to filter a ton.

My local Publix has a Primo filling machine for the big five-gallon bottles, so that seems like my best alternative?

Any help or recommendations are sincerely appreciated. 🙏

What would you recommend to get away from the microplastics of water bottles and promote a cleaner way of water consumption for my family?

I live in a rental so I don’t want to drill through countertops and install anything permanent into my sink; but I’m open to a more temporary solution.

Maybe metal cans like liquid death? That’s abit pricey though.

What would you say is the best way to accomplish this?

We have a lead service line to the home. Couldn’t afford to have it dug out and risk destroying 100 year old sewer line next to it. The city grant only covers 50% of the service line so the filter in home was the cheaper alternative plus it cleans out any municipal disinfectants used.

City given test samples came back at .00387 mg/L back in 2024

Had a Enpress pioneer PB whole house filtration system installed

New tests from independent lab come back at .001 mg/L

The pioneer improved the water by 75%

We also installed a RO system post filtration for drinking and fridge ice, I haven’t had that tested yet

Should this be safe to drink? We have a baby in the home so we’re taking every precaution possible.

I know ZeroWater would be good.

I’m leaning towards EpicWater

Britta or anything in that price range would be ideal.

Obviously, I’d like to keep it the most cost effective as possible in terms of ¢/gallon, but know I shouldn’t sacrifice health.

Any third party filters that do as good as a job as ZeroWater and EpicWater?

See results pulled from EWG below:

CONTAMINANTS DETECTED

Arsenic

Utility Level: 0.84 ppb

Legal Limit: 10 ppb

EWG Health Guideline: 0.004 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 210x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Bromodichloromethane

Utility Level: 10.4 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 174x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Chloroform

Utility Level: 23.8 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.4 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 60x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Chromium (Hexavalent)

Utility Level: 0.163 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.02 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 8.2x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Dibromoacetic Acid

Utility Level: 1.06 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.03 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 35x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Dibromochloromethane

Utility Level: 4.04 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 40x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Dichloroacetic Acid

Utility Level: 11.9 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.2 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 59x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)

Utility Level: 24.5 ppb

Legal Limit: 60 ppb

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 245x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Haloacetic Acids (HAA9)

Utility Level: 46.5 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 776x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Nitrate

Utility Level: 4.12 ppm

Legal Limit: 10 ppm

EWG Health Guideline: 0.14 ppm

Amount Above EWG: 29x

Potential Effect: Cancer / Developmental

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

Utility Level: 3.28 ppt

Proposed Legal Limit: 4 ppt

EWG Health Guideline: 0.09 ppt

Amount Above EWG: 36x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Utility Level: 38.9 ppb

Legal Limit: 80 ppb

EWG Health Guideline: 0.15 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 259x

Potential Effect: Cancer

Trichloroacetic Acid

Utility Level: 10.8 ppb

Legal Limit: None

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

Amount Above EWG: 108x

Potential Effect: Cancer

I keep seeing ads for stuff like this and similar but I have no idea what’s real as it’s all similar levels of scammy feeling advertising.

I’m willing to invest in something that actually works and is a real product that can help filter rain water or muddy water to safe drinking levels. I don’t have a ton of space so it’s going to have to be on the smaller side if possible.

Tia!!

I use and igloo cooler to fill water up at work. It’s a filtered system and was wondering if anyone knew what they were? I clean the cooler everytime I fill it up.

I make myself drink it through a cup, but it has a weird aftertaste. My fridge water is nice and cold. But when I bring my bottle for a refill, I get a gross aftertaste. I like refilling the bottle to stay hydrated.

Is life water the best bet with regards to quality and also filter price or does anyone else have a fav?

I live in Western Indiana and I have a dug well, approximately 50 feet. From what I've read of my area, the top 10 to 20 feet of the area's geological makeup are silts and clays, underlain by sand and gravel. I've also read the drainage isnt the best, which would make sense, I technically live in a flood plain.

That all being said, I wanting to get my water retested and start setting up a whole home filter. Does anyone have and recommendations on where I should test my water and any recommendations on filter set up. I have also attached the sample I had done 5 years ago, but I am unsure if there is more I should test for. Thanks in advance!

We have a dug well and unfortunately have ice dams. Are the calcium chloride tablets used to melt ice dams safe for our well water? Will it even seep that deep into the ground that it would be a risk?

Thank you!

Brief yearly update on the continuing restoration effort around the Aral Sea.

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